Following the official termination of the German-French FCAS fighter jet project, Thomas Röwekamp, the Chairman of the Bundestag’s Defence Committee (CDU), is strongly advocating for new international collaborations. Röwekamp told the “Rheinische Post” that while the failure of FCAS is regrettable, Europe requires greater cooperation, not less, particularly in air defense and future technologies. However, he also welcomed the current clarity, noting that after years of stagnation and uncertainty, there is now an opportunity to look forward. He highlighted that Germany possesses robust European partners, including the United Kingdom, Spain, and Sweden, all of whom show significant interest in developing the next generation of aerial combat systems. Röwekamp demanded that this moment should be used to establish new, sustainable, and peer-to-peer partnerships aimed at strengthening Europe’s industrial sovereignty and technological advancement. According to the CDU politician, concepts such as linking manned and unmanned systems, along with the development of a modern “Combat Cloud” approach, are not exclusive to the FCAS framework and should be achieved in partnership with other European nations.
Politics
